As China completed another feat on Tuesday, sending the country’s first civilian taikonaut to China’s space station, stargazers worldwide expressed willingness to carry out more cooperation with China in the aerospace field, despite an ever-intense China-US relation. Although the US government has not stopped their smears and attacks on China’s space development, some academicians and institutes from the West are willing to collaborate with China for the advancement of science, as there is no border, no politics in the vast universe, Olivier Contant (Contant),the French-American Executive Director of the International Academy of Astronautics, and Erick Lansard (Lansard), a professor at the Nanyang Technological University, told the Global Times (GT)in an interview.
GT: Witnessing China’s progress in the aerospace field in recent years, how do you believe thedevelopment will contribute to the advancement of mankind’s knowledge?
Lansard: In recent years, there has been acceleration in China’s development. The first time I visited China was in 1996 for the first International Astrological Congress in Beijing. Over the years, I have witnessed China’s progress and development. The long-term plan that Chinadrafted several years ago has been implemented, and thathas been truly amazing. Despite political tensions that may exist, the international community maintains the interest in continuing discussions among different countries and actors.
GT: The US has been continuously hyping a “space race”with China, with NASA Chief Bill Nelson repeatedly attacking China’s space programs, accusingChina of stealing technology from the US. How do you think about Nelson’s remarks and the future cooperation betweenChinaand the US in space?
Contant: Everyone has their own political purpose for saying what they say. The NASA chief represents a state organization, but in the science community, politicians’ opinions don’t matter. What’s important is that we do our work regardless and collaborate for scientific advancement.
It will take time to find stability and the balance of powersin the system. But I think it’s just a matter of time that we find these balance.
Race always happens but that’s normal. It’s understandable that if individuals are unable to work together and collaborate, others may take it upon themselves to do so. For example, if someone discovers a cure for a disease but chooses not to share it, others may seek to find a cure and work with whoever is necessary to do so.
The key to collaboration is through scientific and commercial aspects, as the scientific world is free from political tensions. The future cooperation for China-US in space lies in commercializationas long as US opens its doors. Although there may be some issues that we see in the news, it does not mean that we have to stop. Instead, we should be even more motivated to create more opportunities for peace.
Lansard: When it comes to collaboration, regardless of the country involved, establishing trust among different stakeholders is crucial. Trust means ensuring a genuine win-win situation and respecting each other’s contributions. Science provides an excellent platform for collaboration because it inherently offers mutual benefits.
What’s more, it’s important to make a clear distinction between space agencies, which are empowered by the government to implement policies, and individual researchers and scientists. Science has the power to unite people. Policies may change, but individuals don’t.
GT: Several months ago, the EuropeanSpace Agencyannounced that they would stop their plans to send astronauts to the Chinese space station. Do you think it is a result of US’pressurization upon Europe?
Contant: It’s important for all countries to understand each other’s concerns. China is opening up, and it’s beautiful. But unfortunately, thishas caused some concerns fromother countries, asthey may not have progressed in the same way. It’s like a married couple – sometimes things go perfectly, but sometimes there are issues that need to be fixed. We need to listen to each other, adapt, find middle ground, and move forward together. There is no good in conflicts.
GT: Do you or your colleagues look forwardto visitingChina’sspace station one day? What kind of projects do you want to carrytothe space station?
Contant: Definitely,the IAA is a non-governmental academy like a giant family of the most prestigiousexperts and scientists, where we appreciate each other, know each other, and are friends regardless of countries. We would like to work on agriculture, with more testing on seeds and vegetables that can be beneficial for humans on Earth. Another area is energy and carbon emissions, carbon capture.
Lansard: I would recommend that the Chinese authorities inviting and facilitating access to space for universities, by providing opportunities for universities to embark small payloads on its space station, setting up, for example, a special module where they can launch from the space station.
This approach helps foster collaboration between universities and encourages idea sharing. It’s a great way to support universities, especially considering that they often have limited funding but rich in innovative ideas. It takes time to develop an initial idea and bring it to maturity, so having a platform for collaboration is extremely valuable.
GT: What other potential fields that you would like to engage with China?
Contant: In deep-space, China is investing a lot of efforts in finding exoplanets to understand the origin of life and discover any form of intelligence or life on other planets. That would be an important area of collaboration. Additionally, planetary defense is key to mitigating any potential threats to Earth from asteroids or other dangers that needs joint efforts from all space players.
(Global Times)
